Loading and unloading boats from the trailers which are used to carry them to and from the water site is a well-known problem. Various solutions have been devised in order to ease the loading and unloading procedure. Typically, the trailer with the boat attached is backed into the water and the boat is released from its securement and pushed backward off the end of the trailer into the water. The trailer usually enters the water until the hull of the boat is partly submerged to reduce the weight of the boat on the trailer to make it easy to remove. In order to increase the ease of pushing the boat off of the trailer, anti-friction members, such as rollers, have been employed as support members between the trailer and the hull of the boat. The problem with rollers or any other anti-friction device previously employed is the requirement of providing sufficient contact surface area between the trailer and the hull of the boat so that the boat may be securely held to the trailer during transportation without damage. The limited surface area contact between the rollers and hull of the boat creates high specific pressure between the rollers and hull of the boat which can cause damage. Also, because they are submerged under water, the electrical and mechanics of the trailer can become corroded and fail to work properly.
It is common practice for trailers to be fitted with simple flat skids, usually carpet-covered, to provide the necessary hull protection and supporting contact with the trailer during transport. However, padded skids because of their high friction with the hull of the boat make it extremely difficult to unload the boat from the trailer, especially when the unloading is attempted by one person.